Business Radios

The Vertex Standard rebate promotion is back for the summer of 2012! When you buy at least six Vertex Standard VX-350 or VX-2200 Series radios, you qualify for a $20 rebate per radio for a total of $120 cash back. Purchase at least six Vertex Standard VX-450 Series radios and get a $40 rebate per radio for a total of $240 cash back. This rebate is offered by Vertex Standard directly and is available until August 17, 2012 at Buy Two Way Radios.

The best part? There is no maximum limit to the number of radios you can buy for this rebate offer!
The following radios qualify for the rebates:

This offer is direct from the manufacturer, so you will need to send your rebate redemption form to Vertex Standard after you purchase your radios and they will mail your rebate directly to you. This offer is valid on radios purchased through August 17, 2012. Although you can mix and match models within a series, all radios purchased must be within the same product series and must be ordered on a single order and on the same invoice. The Minimum rebate will be $120 (6 radios x $20) or $240 (6 radios x $40). Click here for full details. To redeem your rebate, go to vertexstandardrebate.com and follow the instructions.

All redemption requests must be postmarked on or before August 17, 2012. Redemption submissions received after that date will NOT be eligible. Redemptions cannot be sent to P.O. Boxes. Please allow 4-6 weeks from receipt of your submission for to receive your rebates. Offer good only in the U.S. and Canada and is void where prohibited, taxed and restricted by law.

Note: All Vertex Standard radios on this list are narrowband compliant.

This week - May 27th through June 2nd - is National Hurricane Preparedness Week. With the coincidental arrival of Tropical Storm Beryl, we've already had a taste of what this 2012 hurricane season could be like. Beryl was not even a category one hurricane, yet this storm packed a considerable punch with wind and rain, causing power outages and cancelling Memorial Day events along the Florida and Georgia coasts.

Tropical Storm Beryl is said to be the most powerful tropical storm in recorded history to hit the Atlantic coast of the US outside of hurricane season, which officially begins today, June 1. But it wasn't the first cyclone to jump the starting date. Tropical Storm Alberto, which formed off the coast of South Carolina, claimed that spot in mid May.

The National Weather Service advises everyone to be prepared for hurricane season this week. Develop an emergency plan of action and/or evacuation in case of an emergency. Prepare an emergency disaster kit with basic provisions, including:

Collecting everything you need to build an emergency kit can be time consuming and even a bit daunting, especially if you are someone who is always busy or on the go. For those who want to be prepared but don't have the time or patience to go on a scavenger hunt for emergency supplies, you can get one already prepared for you. Buy Two Way Radios now carries a complete line of emergency and survival kits, from the Basic Necessities Emergency Kit to the Four Person Survivor Kit.

Of course, our specialty is radios. For the NWS Emergency Preparedness List posted above, we recommend the Midland ER102 Emergency Crank Radio or the Midland XT511 Base Camp Two Way / Emergency Crank Radio. The XT511 is also an FRS/GMRS two way radio, which could come in handy if land line or cell phone communications are out.

For a complete overview of these and other emergency/weather radios, read the Weather Radio Buyer's Guide. To help you choose the best weather radio for your situation, check out our Emergency Weather Radio Comparison Guide.

So far we've had two storms in one month, before the hurricane season has even begun. Is this just an anomaly, or a shadow of things to come? Does it really matter? The National Weather Service advises us all to get ready, always be ready, because you just never know until the next storm comes.

For more information on emergency weather radios, listen to The Two Way Radio Show Episode 13 - Emergency and Weather Radios.

Updated March 30, 2021
We frequently get questions from business customers asking if they really need to buy a "business" two way radio. Business radios are generally much more expensive than consumer radios and the features are often very similar, so it is easy to see why this can be confusing. In this post I'll try to explain the common differences between these types of radios, and hopefully provide enough information for you to decide what's best for your business.

FCC Regulations
Whether a 2 way radio is "business" or "consumer" is decided by the service and frequencies that it uses to transmit and receive communications. For instance, in the case of the FRS and GMRS radio services, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set aside 22 UHF frequencies as general simplex frequencies for use by consumers on these services. These frequencies make up GMRS and FRS channels that are supported by those types of consumer radios that we sell.

Technically, while FRS radios are considered license free, use of the GMRS radios requires an FCC license. This license is good for 10 years and covers the applicant and his/her immediate family. At one time GMRS licenses were issued to businesses, but this is no longer the case. Here is a note from the FCC's GMRS license application form (form 605):

Note: For GMRS: effective January 1, 1989, new or major modification applications may NOT be filed by non-individual (business) applicants/licensees. (See Rule 1.929(c) (4) & 95.5(b).

For GMRS radios to be legally used by businesses, each person using the radios would need an individual GMRS license ($70 each). A business could use the radios on FRS channels 1-7 and 15-22 without a license at up to two watts, but when using FRS channels 8-14 the radio cannot transmit at more than a half watt of power. This is generally only good for a quarter to a half mile of outdoor range on those specific channels.

Business radios use different frequency ranges on the same UHF band as FRS and GMRS. These frequencies have been approved by the FCC for business use. The business frequencies are not as popular, so you typically don't have to worry about "chatter" on your channels. You can also get business radios that operate on VHF frequencies, which work better than UHF outdoors or inside of and around wood structures. An FCC license for your business starts at around $140, depending on the type of license. You will pay more upfront for your business radio, but if there are several employees that will use it you will likely save money after factoring in the license cost.

Durability
Business radios are usually designed to hold up to abuse better than consumer radios. Consumer radios are usually built for infrequent use: weekend hunting trips, multiple car caravans, skiing, camping, amusement parks, etc. They are usually lightweight with a thin plastic casing. Business radios are designed to be used for hours every day, and they will hold up better than consumer radios. Many are built to military specifications.

Two exceptions to this are the DeWALT branded walkie talkies and the Wouxun KG-805F. These are professional grade FRS radios capable of transmitting at up to 2 watts. They are built for consumer or business use, with powerful battery options for hours of uptime, commercial grade housings, and higher Ingress Protection (IP) ratings for dust and water resistance.

Battery Life
If your business plans to use radios for more than a few hours a day, battery life is something that you will not want to overlook. Most consumer radios include rechargeable batteries that are good for 8 hours or less of use. As is typical of batteries, this life will likely diminish slightly over time. Some business or professional radios are also limited in their battery life, but most will provide 12 hours or more on a charge.

Accessories
Business radios typically have a better selection of accessories than consumer radios. If accessories such as headsets or earpieces are important to your business, you should look at what accessories are available before you choose a radio. Things like rapid chargers and multi unit chargers are generally only available for business radios.

Common Scenarios
There are some scenarios where a business radio is always your best choice. For example, anytime you expect to use the radio frequently and for more than 8 hours with each use. If you purchase a consumer radio for this, there is a good chance you will be disappointed with the battery life. Also, if you are in a "tough" work environment such as a construction or industrial situation, with very few exceptions, consumer radios are not designed to take this kind of beating.

It may be best to choose a consumer radio in a light-duty situation where very little range is needed. This would allow you to get away with only using the FRS radios and avoiding the license fees. A great example is a school that needs radios for directing traffic in mornings and afternoons.

I hope this has been helpful. If you have any specific questions you can, as always, feel free to call or email us!

Related Resources
Buyer's Guide - Business Radios
Common Business Radio Uses/Industries
The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-02 - An Introduction to Business Radios
The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-07 - Comparing Small Business Radios